Test-Driven Development

The problem

Software should be soft, supple, easy to manipulate under our fingers. Yet it often is not: we work with code that is brittle, ugly, difficult to understand and modify. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could write clean code that works? If we could write good code that solves our problems, without taking too much time writing it?

A solution: TDD

Test-Driven Development is one of the most important practices of Agile Methods. TDD allows you to write flexible code, guided by tests. Code written with TDD has fewer defects, is more maintainable, cohesive and decoupled. And with TDD you’ll get a suite of automated tests that make maintenance safer and make it possible to keep the code clean.

The TDD recipe is simple, but it’s not easy in practice. If you want to learn, it’s a good thing to practice under the eye of an expert.

In this course you’ll learn, with your hands on the keyboard, how to write effective, clear tests. You’ll learn how to write the *first test*, and the following ones: this means you’ll learn how to solve a programming problem by breaking it down in small, safe steps. You’ll learn how to use tests to improve the design. You’ll solve any doubts or misconceptions on how TDD really works, by discussing them with the teacher and other participants. You’ll get a good start on the way of continuously learning and improving your TDD technique.